2 plead guilty in County Court

ALBION – Two people pleaded guilty to felonies in Orleans County Court this afternoon.

One of the defendants opted to be sentenced right after her plea. Erlinda Rodriguez-Zuniga, 48, of South Lyndonville Road in Lyndonville admitted to having prescription hydrocodone pills and selling them.

She pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree. The charge normally carries a maximum of 1 ½ years in state prison.

As part of a plea deal, Rodriguez-Zuniga faced a maximum of one year in jail. Sara Seldon, acting County Court judge, gave Rodriguez-Zuniga nine months in the local jail. Rodriguez-Zuniga has already served 131 days.

She apologized to the community and her family for the crime. She also had to pay $50 in restitution to the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force, as well as a $375 court surcharge.

Rodriguez-Zuniga faces separate proceeding with U.S. federal probation. She has been on probation after she allegedly smuggled 400 pounds of pot from Mexico in 2013.

In another case, a Cazenovia man pleaded guilty to felony driving while intoxicated and could face up to 6 months in jail and 5 years of probation when he is sentenced on March 12.

Michael E. McKee, 30, of Cazenovia was charged on July 14 in Carlton and had a 0.29 percent Blood Alcohol Content, nearly four times the legal limit.

McKee has a prior DWI in 2012. As part of a plea deal today, he could be forced to pay a fine between $1,000 and $5,000, a state surcharge and will likely be required to have an interlock ignition device in any vehicle he drives for up to a year.